Telegraphic key.



No. '7'78,067. PATENTED DEO.20,1904.

J. E. PEARSON.

TELEGRAPHIO 'KEY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12/1908.

N0 MODEL.

. m VENTOH v joimEllzs-fiarwm ATTORNEYS UNITED ST T S Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. j

TELEGRAPHIC KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,067, dated December 20, 1904.

Application filed November 12, 1903.. Serial No. 180,862

To all whom tum/01y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ELLIS PEARSON, a

f citizen of the United States, and a resident of Motor, in the county of Polk and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Telegraphic Key, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to telegraphic keys,

my more particular object being to produce a key which is selfclosing-that is to say, akey I in which the main-line circuit is normally closed the instant the operator removes his hand'from the key-button.

35 1 and is engaged bya tension-screw 13, which Fig. 3 is a horizontal section upon the line33 of Fig; 2 lookinginthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is adiagram of the electric circuit, and Fig. 5is a side elevation of the lip 17 and its connections viewed as from the right of Fig. 1.

The base-ring is shown at 1, the key-legs at 2 3, theclamping-nuts at 1 5, the trunnionposts at 6, the trunnion-screws at 7, and the locking-screws at 8 9, these parts being of the usual construction. The key-lever is shown at 10 and is provided with trunnions 11, which are engaged by'the trunnion-screws 7, these parts being'of the usual construction. s'ion-spring 12 is connected with the base-ring is provided with a-locking-screw 1 1. An 'in- I sulating-sleeve 15, made preferably of hard rubber, is mounted within and partially above the base-ring 1. The nipple 16 is connected electrically with the leg 3, and immediately below this nipple and encircling the leg3 is a closure-lip 17, which may be of the usual construction. The contact-points are shown at 18 19 and may be of platinum or any desired material. A wire 20 is used for the purpose of closing the circuit, as hereinafter described. The key-button is'shown'at 21. Below the button is a nut 22 encircling the stem 23.

This. stem is provided with spring contact .with hooks 25 26.

tact with the hooks 25 26.

A tenmembers 2 1 of the shape shown, these contact members being provided at their upper ends An insulating member 27 of mushroom shape is provided with an integral stem 29, which engages a contact-plate 28. The member 27 is loosely fitted into the cylindrical aperture 30 of the shape shown. A spring 31 is disposed within the lower portion of this aperture and rests upon a disk 32 of insulating material. Resting upon this spring is an insulating disk 33, which is pressed upward and into engagement withthe plate 28, thereby forcing this plate into con- The plate 28 is integrally provided with a stem 35, which projects outward through a horizontal slot 3 1 and is engaged by a binding-screw 36 whereby the wire 20 is connected thereto. The battery is shown at 38 and is connected by wires 37 39 with the leg 3 and the key-lever 10, respectively. A flattened sleeve 40-, of conducting material, is connected with the wire 20 and is slipped over the lip 17, so as to ment with the hooks 25 26, thereby complet- I manner, the contact 19 closes upon the contact .Thema- 18, thereby completing the circuit.

nipulation of the key is thereforesiibstantially unchanged, the only diiference being that the operator must use a little care to depress the member 27. He cannotneglect to do this, for the reason that the key will not operate at all unless the member 27 be depressed. When the operator is through telegraphing, he merely releases the key, whereupon the circuit is closed automatically by the upward pressure of the spring 31, as above described. No matter how careless the operator may be he is utterly unable to leave his key open when the key is equipped with my device.

As the sleeve detachably engages the lip 17, all that is necessary to apply my invention to a key already in use is to provide the same with a new finger-button substantially of the kind shown and to slip the sleeve 40 over the lip 17, with which every ordinary key is provided.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a self-closing telegraphic key, the combination of a key-lever, a finger-button of insulating material mounted thereon, contact mechanism connected with said finger-button and adapted to open by fingerpressure, a member connected With said contact mechanism and free to be operated by the fingers so as to actuate said contact mechanism, a lip of conducting material disposed adjacent to said key lever and insulated therefrom, except when said key-lever is depressed, a conducting member detachably engaging said lip, and a connection between said conducting member and said contact mechanism. 2. In a self-closing telegraphic key, the combination of a fixed base portion provided with a lip and with a contact-point in electrical communication with the same, a lever movable relatively to said base portion and provided with a contact-point mating that of said base portion, a linger-button mounted upon said key-lever, contact mechanism connected with said linger-button and opened and closed by finger-pressure, a flattened sleeve detachably encircling said lip, and a conductor connecting said flattened sleeve with said contact mechanism.

3. An attachment for telegraphic keys, comprising a sleeve for detachably engaging the lip of an ordinary key, a finger-button provided with contact mechanism, a connection between said contact mechanism and said sleeve, and means for securing said linger-button upon an ordinary key-lever.

4. An attachment for telegraphic keys, comprising a flattened sleeve for encircling the lip of an ordinary key, a finger-button provided with means whereby it may be mounted upon a key-lever, said finger-button beingalso provided with contact mechanism, and a detachable connection between said sleeve and said contact mechanism for closing the circuit independently of the movements of the key-lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN ELLIS PEARSON.

Witnesses:

J. W. HEATI-IERLEY, CHARLES \V. PEARSON. 

